Toyota founder's son, who led global growth, dies at 97
CTV
Shoichiro Toyoda, who as a son of the company's founder oversaw Toyota's expansion into international markets has died. He was 97.
Shoichiro Toyoda, who as a son of the company's founder oversaw Toyota's expansion into international markets, has died. He was 97.
Toyoda, the company's honorary chairman, died Tuesday of heart failure, Toyota Motor Corp. said in a statement.
He was the father of Akio Toyoda, who recently announced he was stepping down as president and chief executive to become its chairman. Shoichiro was the eldest son of Kiichiro Toyoda, who founded Toyota in 1937.
After becoming Toyota's president in 1982, Shoichiro Toyoda helped direct Toyota's transformation into a global automaker, especially in the vital U.S. market, where its brand became synonymous with quality, durability, cost performance and engineering finesse.
Both father and son experienced the difficult years of "Japan-bashing," when powerful Japanese exporters like Toyota were blamed for taking away American blue-collar jobs.
The company opted to become a member of the U.S. auto community, showing that Toyota was an asset, creating jobs and value for the American people.
With his brother Tatsuro, Shoichiro Toyoda helped pave the way for Toyota to set up manufacturing facilities in North America. The company formed a joint venture with General Motors in 1983. It was called New United Motor Manufacturing Inc., or NUMMI, and its first vehicle rolled out in 1984 in Freemont, California.
